Seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics

Abstract

Proposed is a seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics, and more particularly to a seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics, of which a structure is concise and simple, and in which a footrest on which a trainee can put his/her foot has the minimum height to allow the trainee to easily enter and readily use the robot without any separate entry means for entry of the trainee and is placed at an entry side for the trainee to raise a gait training effect and reduce a collision risk.

Claims

1. A gait rehabilitation robot comprising: a weight supporter including an elevator connected to a vertical supporter and configured for moving up and down, and a seat connected to the elevator; and a pair of walk actuators disposed at opposite sides with respect to the weight supporter with an interval therebetween for gait training of a trainee, each of the pair of walk actuators comprising a footrest, a footrest supporter to which the footrest is connected, and a footrest actuator configured to actuate the footrest and the footrest supporter, wherein the footrest actuator comprises a supporter rotation actuator configured to perform rotational movement of the footrest supporter, a footrest rotation actuator configured to perform rotational movement of the footrest, and a translatory actuator configured to perform translatory movement of the footrest supporter, the translatory actuator including a transfer mechanism to which the footrest supporter is connected and a transfer actuator configured to apply an actuating force to the transfer mechanism, wherein the rehabilitation robot further comprises a pair of actuator hanging members disposed at opposite sides with respect to the weight supporter with an interval therebetween to form lateral walls to hang and support the transfer mechanism, wherein the transfer mechanism comprises a plurality of guide rails coupled to an inner side of the respective lateral wall to be spaced apart up and down from each other and extending in a translatory direction, a slider connected to the plurality of guide rails and configured to move by the actuating force applied from the transfer actuator, and a transfer base on which the slider and the footrest supporter are disposed, wherein the transfer base comprises a vertical base to which the slider is coupled, and a horizontal base disposed perpendicularly to a lower portion of the vertical base, the footrest supporter being rotatably coupled to the supporter rotation actuator disposed on the horizontal base, and wherein the footrest supporter is connected to the transfer mechanism and the footrest is mounted on the footrest supporter, and a front end of the footrest supporter is placed inside an entry space for allowing a wheelchair or the trainee to enter so that the footrest is disposed toward an entrance of the entry space formed between the pair of actuator hanging members.

2. The gait rehabilitation robot of claim 1, wherein the transfer actuator comprises: a transfer belt comprising opposite ends fastened to the transfer base, and disposed to be movable along a disposition path of the plurality of guide rails; a transfer motor configured to generate and provide an actuating force for movement of the transfer belt; a transferer speed reducer connected to a motor shaft of the transfer motor for performing a speed-reducing function; a transferer driving pulley disposed in an output terminal of the transferer speed reducer and engaging with a first side of the transfer belt; and a transferer driven pulley disposed spaced apart from the transferer driving pulley and engaging with a second side of the transfer belt.

3. The gait rehabilitation robot of claim 2, further comprising: a main base in which the pair of actuator hanging members are disposed; and a cover disposed outside the pair of actuator hanging members.

4. The gait rehabilitation robot of claim 1, wherein the supporter rotation actuator comprises a supporter rotation motor, and a supporter speed reducer configured to reduce rotational speed of the supporter rotation motor, and the footrest supporter comprises a supporting link connected to an output terminal of the supporter speed reducer, and the horizontal base includes a rotation hole in which a connector of the supporting link is rotationally accommodated.

5. The gait rehabilitation robot of claim 4, further comprising: a main base in which the pair of actuator hanging members are disposed; and a cover disposed outside the pair of actuator hanging members.

6. The gait rehabilitation robot of claim 1, further comprising: a main base in which the pair of actuator hanging members are disposed; and a cover disposed outside the pair of actuator hanging members.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A is a perspective view illustrating an overall structure of a conventional seating-type gait rehabilitation robot,

(2) FIG. 1B is a partially enlarged perspective view illustrating internal parts of a walk actuator by removing an upper component from the conventional seating-type gait rehabilitation robot,

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view for illustrating a seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to a first embodiment of the disclosure,

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view for illustrating the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the first embodiment of the disclosure, from which some components are separated,

(5) FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views for illustrating major parts of the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the first embodiment of the disclosure,

(6) FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view for illustrating the major parts of the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the first embodiment of the disclosure, and

(7) FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspective views for describing use states of the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the first embodiment of the disclosure.

MODE FOR INVENTION

(8) Below, embodiments of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of FIGS. 2 to 6B, in which like numerals refer to like elements throughout FIGS. 2 to 6B. Meanwhile, illustrations and detailed descriptions about the elements and their operations and effects, which will be easily understood based on general technology by a person having an ordinary skill in the art, in the accompanying drawings will be simplified or omitted, while illustrating only parts relevant to the disclosure.

(9) FIG. 2 is a perspective view for illustrating a seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to a first embodiment of the disclosure, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view for illustrating the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the first embodiment of the disclosure, from which some components are separated.

(10) Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the first embodiment of the disclosure includes a weight supporter 1 supporting the weight of a trainee such as a patient, etc. who needs gait-rehabilitation training; and walk actuators 2 symmetrically placed at opposite sides with respect to the weight supporter 1 so that a trainee getting on the weight supporter 1 can substantially undergo gait-rehabilitation training, in which a footrest 21 of the walk actuator 2 on which the trainee puts his/her foot has the minimum height from a floor, thereby allowing the trainee to easily enter without any separate entry means for entry of the trainee.

(11) To this end, in the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the first embodiment of the disclosure, a translatory actuator 31 of the walk actuator 2 is not installed in a lower portion but installed hung on a lateral portion so as to lower a home-position height of the footrest 21. Hereinafter, detailed description will be made focusing on the walk actuator 2, which is distinctive as compared with that of a conventional seating-type gait rehabilitation robot, while simplifying or omitting descriptions about the weight supporter 1, a controller (not shown) for controlling actuation of the weight supporter 1 and the walk actuator 2, a display (not shown) for displaying an actuating state, and the like elements.

(12) FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views for illustrating major parts of the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the first embodiment of the disclosure, in which FIG. 4A shows the parts as viewed from the front (in an entry direction of a trainee), and FIG. 4B shows the parts as viewed from the back (in an opposite direction to the entry direction of the trainee. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view for illustrating the major parts of the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the first embodiment of the disclosure.

(13) Referring to FIGS. 4A to 5, the weight supporter 1 includes a vertical supporter 11 functioning as a pillar; an elevator 12 including an elevating frame 121 connected to the vertical supporter 11, an elevation device (not shown) placed inside the vertical supporter 11 and connected to the elevating frame 121, etc.; and a seat 13 including a connection frame 131 connected to the elevating frame 121, a saddle 132 installed in the connection frame 131, etc.

(14) Further, the seat 13 is installed with a chest supporter 133 to support a chest of a trainee, and a handle (not shown) to be gripped by a trainee.

(15) The elevation device (not shown) may be variously configured without limitations as long as it can move the elevator 12 up and down while a trainee is sitting on the seat 13. However, the elevation device in this embodiment may be configured to include a guide rail (not shown) longitudinally installed inside the vertical supporter, an LM guide module (not shown) with a slider (not shown) moving on the guide rail, a servo motor (not shown) for generating and applying actuating force to move the slider (not shown), and a ball screw (not shown) for moving the slider up and down while rotating as connected to the servo motor, like those shown in the mechanism of the background art.

(16) Meanwhile, the walk actuator 2 includes one pair of footrests 21 on which a trainee puts his/her left and right feet to undergo gait training, one pair of footrest supporters 22 to which the footrests 21 are connected, and a footrest actuator 3 for actuating the footrest supporter 22.

(17) The footrest 21 allows a trainee to put his/her foot thereon to thereby smoothly under to gait-rehabilitation training. The footrest 21 may be variously configured without limitations of its shape or structure as long as it is easy to separate a trainee's foot from the footrest 21 when the trainee goes into spasm or the gait rehabilitation robot malfunctions.

(18) For example, the footrest 21 is installed with a footrest body 211 in which a plurality of footrest members 2111 shaped like an approximately rectangular plate are detachably provided; a foot locker (not shown) provided as a locking band or an auxiliary shoe to lock a trainee's foot to the footrest body 211; a footrest member binder (not shown) such as an electromagnet installed inside the footrest body so that the plurality of footrest members 2111 are bound together and separated from each other; a foot sensor (not shown) configured to sense the conditions of the trainee such as a patient's spasm or the like by detecting the pressure or force applied to the footrest body 211; etc.

(19) Here, the foot sensor may employ load cells representatively described in the background art, but may be selected among various pressure sensors such as a capacitive pressure sensor, a strain gauge pressure sensor, a potentiometric pressure sensor, a piezoelectric pressure sensor, a silicon pressure sensor, etc.

(20) When a force stronger than a predetermined level is applied to the footrest due to a patient's spasm, the malfunction of the gait rehabilitation robot or the like emergency, the foot sensor makes the foot locker release a binding force of the footrest member binder (i.e., a magnetic force of an electromagnet applied to the footrest member), which binds the footrest member 2111 under control of the controller, thereby preventing accidents.

(21) Meanwhile, the footrest supporter 22 is shaped like an arm having a first end is connected to a transfer mechanism 311 (to be described later), and a second end to which the footrest 21 is mounted, and includes a supporting link 221 connected to an output terminal of a supporter speed reducer 322 (to be described later), and a supporter housing 222 coupled to the supporting link 221.

(22) Further, it is important that the footrest supporter 22 is coupled to make a coupling portion between the supporting link 221 of the footrest supporter 22 and the transfer mechanism 311 be close to the weight supporter 1, i.e., the inner side of the entry space so that a trainee can easily enter an entry space formed between the left and right actuator hanging members 24.

(23) Like this, when a connector 221a of the supporting link 221 of the footrest supporter 22 is coupled to the inner side of the entry space, the footrest 21 is naturally disposed toward the entrance of the entry space formed between the left and right actuator hanging members 24 and is thus convenient for a trainee in a wheelchair to position his/her foot in the proximity of the footrest 21 as shown in FIG. 6A.

(24) Meanwhile, the footrest actuator 3 includes a translatory actuator 31 for actuating the footrest supporter 22 to move frontward and backward in a translational direction, a supporter rotation actuator 32 for actuating the footrest supporter 22 to rotate, and a footrest rotation actuator 33 for actuating the footrest 21 to rotate, in which an actuator hanging member 24 is provided so that the translatory actuator 31 can be not put on a structure installed on the floor but installed hung on the lateral portion.

(25) The translatory actuator 31 refers to an actuator for actuating the footrest supporter 22 to move frontward and backward, and includes a transfer mechanism 311 to which the footrest supporter 22 is connected, and a transfer actuator 312 which applies an actuating force to the transfer mechanism 311.

(26) Further, the transfer mechanism 311 is installed at an inner lateral side of the actuator hanging member 24 to lower the disposition height of the footrest supporter 22 so that the footrest 21 can have the minimum home-position height.

(27) In more detail, the transfer mechanism 311, as shown in FIGS. 4A to 5, includes a guide rail 311a installed in a hanging form along a translatory direction, a slider 311b connected to the guide rail 311a, and a transfer base 311c on which the slider 311b and the footrest supporter 22 are installed. Here, the guide rail 311a and the slider 311b may be selected and used without any specific limitations as long as they are a translatory mechanism guide means for effectively guiding translational movement. In this embodiment, the guide rail 311a and the slider 311b are configured employing a translatory mechanism typically called the LM guide module.

(28) The guide rail 311a and the slider 311b are provided in plural to guide the movement of the transfer base 311c while stably supporting the load of the footrest supporter 22 including the footrest 21 supporting a trainee. The plurality of guide rails 311a are mounted as spaced apart up and down and hung onto the inner side of the actuator hanging member 24, and the sliders 311b respectively corresponding to these guide rails are mounted to the transfer base 311c.

(29) The transfer base 311c includes a vertical base 311c′ to which the slider 311b coupled to the guide rail 311a is mounted, and a horizontal base 311c″ coupled to a lower portion of the vertical base 311c′. Further, the transfer base 311c refers to an ‘L’-shaped movable plate where the horizontal base 311c″ shaped like a plate is formed perpendicularly to the vertical base 311c′ shaped like a plate. The horizontal base 311c″ is perforated and formed with a rotation hole 311d in which the connector 221a of the supporting link 221 is rotatable as accommodated.

(30) Further, the actuator hanging members 24 are provided at the left and right sides with respect to the weight supporter 1 disposed at the center, so that the walk actuators 2 can be installed. The actuator handing member 24 includes a lateral wall 241 shaped like a rectangular plate to which the guide rail 311a is coupled.

(31) When the actuator hanging member 24 includes the lateral wall 241 shaped like a plate as described above, there may be additionally provided a main base member 4 installed on the floor so that the lateral wall 241 can be locked and stably keep a standing state, and a cover member 5 installed outside the lateral wall 241.

(32) Here, the cover member 5 includes a lateral cover plate 51 disposed in parallel with the lateral wall 241, an upper cover plate 52 installed on the lateral cover plate 51, and a connection cover plate 53 installed between the lateral cover plate 51 and the upper cover plate 52.

(33) Further, the cover member 5 is also installed in a front direction of the weight supporter 1, and internally provided with a power supply for supplying power the weight supporter 1, the walk actuator 2 and the like, etc.

(34) Meanwhile, the transfer actuator 312 includes a band-shaped transfer belt 312a of which both ends are fastened to the vertical base 311c′ of the transfer base 311c by fastening brackets 312f and installed to move along an arranged path of the guide rail 311a, a transfer motor 312b configured to generate and provide an actuating force for the movement of the transfer belt 312b, a transferer speed reducer 312c connected to a motor shaft of the transfer motor 312b and performing a speed-reducing function, a transferer driving pulley 312d installed in the output terminal of the transferer speed reducer 312c and engaging with a first side of the transfer belt 312a, and a transferer driven pulley 312e disposed spaced apart from the transferer driving pulley 312d and engaging with a second side of the transfer belt.

(35) Further, the transfer motor 312b is mounted to the actuator hanging member 24 by a coupling bracket 312g, and is installed with a motor electric pulley 312i at the motor shaft. The transferer speed reducer 312c is mounted to the actuator hanging member 24 by a coupling bracket 312j, and is installed with a speed-reducer electric pulley 312k with which a second side of a belt (not shown) having a first side engaging with the motor electric pulley 312i is engaged, and the transferer driving pulley 312d at the output terminal thereof. The transferer driven pulley 312e is rotatably installed to a coupling bracket 312m mounted to the actuator hanging member 24.

(36) Further, the transfer actuator 312 refers to an element configured to apply an actuating force for movement of the slider (not shown). Besides the belt driving method shown in FIG. 5, the transfer actuator 312 may be achieved by a servo motor (not shown) mounted to the guide rail and generating an actuating force, and a ball screw (not shown) rotating as connected to the servo motor and moving the slider forward and backward, detailed illustrations of which will be omitted in the drawings.

(37) Meanwhile, the supporter rotation actuator 32 for the rotation of the footrest supporter 22 in the footrest actuator 3 refers to an actuator for forward and reverse angular motion to carry out a similar action as if a foot is raised or lowered during walking as shown in FIGS. 4B and 5, and includes a supporter rotation motor 321 mounted to the horizontal base 311c″, and the supporter speed reducer 32 installed in the output terminal of the supporter rotation motor 32 and reducing a rotation force.

(38) The supporter speed reducer 322 includes an input side installed in the output terminal of the supporter rotation motor 321, and an output side installed in the connector 221a of the supporting link 221 of the footrest supporter 22, thereby transferring rotary power reduced by a given deceleration ratio.

(39) Meanwhile, the footrest rotation actuator 33 for the rotation of the footrest 21 in the footrest actuator 3 refers to an actuator for forward and reverse rotation of the footrest to carry out a similar action as if a heel portion is first on the ground and a front portion is then on the ground during walking as shown in FIG. 5, and includes a footrest rotation motor 331 installed at a free end of the supporting link 221, and a footrest speed reducer 332 installed at the output terminal of the footrest rotation motor 331 and reducing a rotation speed. Here, the footrest speed reducer 332 includes a first side connected to the output terminal of the footrest rotation motor 331, and a second side connected to the lateral side of the footrest 21.

(40) Meanwhile, in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the reference numeral of ‘26’ indicates a cableveyor configured to move together with various cables for supplying power to the walk actuator 2 or the like while accommodating and protecting the cables, and the reference numeral of ‘27’ indicates a motor driver configured to drive the motors 312b, 321, 331 of the walk actuator 2.

(41) Below, the operations of the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the first embodiment of the disclosure will be described in brief.

(42) FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspective views for describing use states of the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the first embodiment of the disclosure, in which FIG. 6A shows a process that a wheelchair-seated trainee enters and FIG. 6B shows a process that the trainee undergoes training while standing on the footrest.

(43) As shown in FIG. 6A, when a trainee who has difficulties in mobility wants to undergo gait training, the trainee moves toward the entrance of the entry space between the cover members 5 where the left and right walk actuators 2 are placed while sitting on a wheelchair, stops near the footrest 21, gets on the seat 13 so that his/her buttocks can be on the saddle 132 as shown in FIG. 6A, puts and locks his/her foot on the footrest 21 of the walk actuator 2 in the home position, and then undergoes the gait rehabilitation by the walk actuator 2 operating based on a set program.

(44) In more detail, when a trainee gets on the seat 13 and puts his/her foot on the footrest 21 of the walk actuator 2 in position, the transfer motor 312b of the translatory actuator 31 operates to translate move the footrest supporter 22 frontward and backward in a translational direction, the supporter rotation motor 321 of the supporter rotation actuator 32 operates to rotate the footrest supporter 22, and the footrest rotation motor 331 of the footrest rotation actuator 33 operates to rotate the footrest 21, under control of the controller in respect to an input signal, thereby allowing the trainee to practice walking.

(45) Meanwhile, the detailed operations of the supporter rotation actuator 32 and the footrest rotation actuator 33 are similar to those disclosed in the related art (Korean Patent No. 10-1623686 filed by the same applicant), and therefore only the translatory actuator 31, which is distinctive, will be further described.

(46) In the translatory actuator 31, when the transfer motor 312b operates, the rotating force of the motor electric pulley 312i is transferred to the speed-reducer electric pulley 312k by a belt (not shown), reduced in speed by the transferer speed reducer 312c, output to the transferer driving pulley 312d, and transferred to the transfer belt 312a wound around the transferer driven pulley 312e. Thus, when the transfer belt 312a performs a forward and reverse orbital movement, the transfer base 311c fastened to the transfer belt 312a by the fastening bracket 312f moves forward and backward, so that the footrest supporter 22 including the footrest 21 coupled to the transfer base 311c can move forward and backward.

(47) As described above, in the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the disclosure, the translatory actuator 31 of the walk actuator 2 is not disposed on the floor but installed as hung onto the actuator hanging member 24 placed at the lateral side, and therefore the entry space for allowing a wheelchair or a trainee to enter is secured between both the actuator hanging members 24, so that the trainee can easily enter the robot while sitting on the wheelchair even though the conventional transfer part or entry means for the entry of the trainee is not additionally provided or installed, thereby having a prominent effect on use convenience.

(48) Further, in the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the disclosure, the translatory actuator 31 of the walk actuator 2 is installed as hung onto the actuator hanging member 24, so that the footrest 21 on which a trainee puts his/her foot can have the minimum height, thereby making it easier for the trainee to get on the gait rehabilitation robot.

(49) In particular, it is possible to dispose the footrest 21 of the walk actuator 2 at the height similar to the footrest height of the wheelchair, and the footrest supporter 22 is connected to the transfer mechanism 311 of the translatory actuator 31 placed inside the entry space so that the position of the footrest 21 of the walk actuator 2 and the position of the footrest of the entering wheelchair can get closer to each other while facing each other, thereby having advantages that help of medical personnel is minimized and a patient who has a low degree of disability can sit and undergo training without the help of the medical personnel.

(50) Further, in the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the disclosure, the footrest 21 is positioned at an entry side for a trainee, and therefore an enough space for the movement of the walk actuator 2 is secured, thereby having advantages of preventing accidents because there are no risks of collision with a front structure during training, and enhancing gait-rehabilitation training effects because a tracking range of footrest movement is sufficiently secured.

(51) Besides, in the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the disclosure, the trainee transferer needed for a trainee to enter the conventional seating-type gait rehabilitation robot is not necessary, thereby having advantages that the help of medical personnel or the like is minimized and training costs are reduced by improvement in use convenience. Further, the seating-type gait rehabilitation robot has a concise and simple structure and is decreased overall volume and weight, thereby having advantages of remarkably reducing manufacturing costs, installation costs, and maintenance costs.

(52) The foregoing description is merely one embodiment for carrying out a seating-type gait rehabilitation robot improved in entry characteristics according to the disclosure, and the disclosure is not limited to the foregoing embodiment. Thus, it will be appreciated by any person having an ordinary skill in the art that the technical idea of the disclosure falls within the extent to which various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

(53) The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the disclosure. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, the terms “comprise” or “have” are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, action, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and one or more other features. It is to be understood that the disclosure does not exclude the possibility of the presence or the addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, components, or a combination thereof.